Grades and Tea

After such a busy day in the department (imagine recieveng calls non-stop while accepting payments from peole while in my work clothes while searching for materials hidden in cabinet-caves of dust and allergens) i went striaght to Starbucks for a meeting with Koro. I was late of course (first friday kasi e).

After having a sausage roll (the first REAL food i ever had in starbucks) and a green tea frappe, we talked about issues and issues and more issues.

What was interesting though was that everytime i go to starbucks (which is like 6 or 7 times pa lang) they always seem to be quite sure that I'm a first timer. I guess it is obvious if your not used to going to some place--especially if that place carries a social stereotype with it.

Funny and weird. Hehehe.

GOOD NEWS: I got a 1.25 in PI100 which i almost dropped. Woohoo! Thanks groupmates!
BAD NEWS: Di na naman ako na-swelduhan kanina.

Long weekend, but so many paperwork to do.
Oo nga pala, for some weird reason, naging assitant conductor ako ng KORO, Weird.
At least di na ako SEC. OFFICIAL MEMEBRS na kami ng KORO STIGMATINO! (",)

more pictures at http://themistermistaker.multiply.com

A long update

It has been a while since I posted a decent blog entry. So, here goes what things i did over the past week:

(more pictures at http://themistermistaker.multiply.com)

FEB 17
My Lil Sis' Debut

(This picture taken by kuya Ronnie, the family photographer)

Held at Cecile's restaurant's cue room, it was a gathering where family, relatives, friends, classmates, schoolmates and choirmates came to eat hahahaha (so was my intention!).

With the 70's theme, there were dance, songs, and instrument playing numbers for my lil sis (who isn't lil anymore) which i'm pretty sure she really appreciated.

I can't imagine that me and my sister are almost past the teenage years. I can still imagine that day when the word "debut" was but a word in my vocabulary, without realizing what it really is all about, now its my sister having hers. (sighs).

Changes yet again.

Anyways, here are 5 cool things about her debut:

1. Food was, of course, great
2. Close family and friends came--the ususal 18 candles, 18, roses, and 18 wishes were very intimate and personalized by my sister ( i really liked the 18 wishes part where my sis introduced each of her good friends)
3. I didn't piok in my song number for my lil sis (angel by sarah machlachlan). haha. Imagine the confidence i had to sing in front of music majors!
4. The number and dances were like SOP and ASAP combined. Fun!
5. Met her dormates and classmates (whom she really loves so much) so now whenever she tells stories about them, i woulnd't have to imagine vague faces.

hay... i guess we do grow up.
I love my sis. Love you!
(",)

FEB 19
DEMO Teaching at UPIS

After weeks of prepartation (including 5 revisions of our lesson plan: LP and days ofr visual aid prep), I finally had my first ever demo teaching at the UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILPPINES INTEGRATED SCHOOL (UPIS) in the kinder level section sampaguita under teach Yvette.

Equipped with my 2 sems worth of knowledge from EDTEG 101 and 102, i struggled to keep them listening and focused on whatever it is we were teaching by applying the things i've learned. And as it is always, theory is way different from practice.

It was really hard. The first hour came as okay, with me starting off with a poem Five Little Monkeys then later telling them the story of our LP entitled Five Little Monkeys with Nothing to Do and so on. But when the second hour entered, slikes! They turned into rowdy little tykes!

I even had to get some sort of angry with them (but not really) trying my best to assert my authoriy over them which was really hard.

FEB 23
Watching 3 Performances All in One Day

2 recitals @ St. Scho's St. Cecilia's auditorium where my sister performed. We (ate Mean and I) then stayed for the second show to wacth my sister's friends whom we met at her debut.

She was as usual great--very confident, composed, relaxed. And as always, she closed her eyes while preforming, feelt her song and just hit her notes right--diggin' it.

NICE!

Then @ 7:30 pm went with Koro Stigmatino to watch the Ateneo College Glee club @ the Philamlife theater (where our MD is a guest member). Kinda cool. Great perfoamance but was a bit dragging for it was a straight LISTEN-TO-US-SING show. Wala lang, they sang. ehheeh. But they sounded great!

Had a late dinner in Kimono sumtin in blue wave, Macapagal Av.. Ordered Oyakudon which tasted great but was at a not- a-student-friendly price. My savings got depleted. Hehehe

Colonel Sanders goes to Brooklyn

Late last night, after singing in the 6:30 PM mass, went straight to the KORO house for Ate Grace's dinner treat. We ordered 2 boxes of Brooklyn's Pizza and 2 KFC bucket meals. Ang tindi. The most carbs I ate all in one night for 7 months now. To hell with calories and carbs. Nothing beats great tasting food (not good cause it not healthy hehheheh) all for free. Thanks 'te Grace.

Had a meeting with the MD and the President afterwards.

Also watched the TYRA BANKS show. The topic of which was on detecting homosexuality scientifically. Heck. Homosexuality na naman. I have been studying this topic for so long now, both theologically and scientifically. Nothing was new execpt for the hair growth patterns:

galing sa puyo:

Clockwise--male dominant

Counter-clockwise--more inclined to femininity.

Whatever. It feels bad that sometimes people focus so much on a person's sexual orientation that they forget all the good in that person. Who cares if a person is gay? i'm not saying I'm for homosexual genital acts, 'cause Im not (specifically beacuse the Catholic Doctrines says so). I am actullay trying to discover this for myself.

To my best bud whose gay: Dude, just hang on with your struggles. We both know God gave you that challenge for a reason despite the whole world judging you and despite the homosexual revolution of today. I know you are going to stick wtih the LORD. Promise tol, dito lang ako.

more pics?:http://themistermistaker.multiply.com/photos/album/26/Dinner_treat_ni_ate_Grace_29_December_07_PM

Blasts

3-4 NOV
My last weekend before the second sem starts was quite a blast.
Blast as in blasted to wastedness, blasted to amazement, and blasted to becoming a secretary.

Blasted to wastedness
After our trainee evals in Koro Stigmatino,
...which was scary as hell. Being an inexperienced bass, it was as if no sound was coming from my mouth because of the pressure, nervousness, anxiety and what not. Feeling ko kakainin akong buhay ng panel. Buti wala yung crush ko sa Koro hahaha...
we celebrated the choir's 18th anniversary with a party. Syempre may inuman. We--the bass and tenors at least--ended up drinking and singing to the vidoeke's lyrics up until 6 am the follwing day. Hahahhaa. It was only then that i realized what wobbly walking is. I guess i wasn't really wasted yet it felt that i was pass my alcohol limit.

Actually, it felt good to drink. Wala lang. Some form of release. Ngayon lang naman. No worries, I have no plans to turn to alcohol in times of problems. I'm a tea guy you know. hahaha.

Blasted to being Secretary
I was voted new secretary of Koro. By the system(the secreatry automatically becomes vice next year and president the year after next) it says that i would be president in 2010. Weird system actually. Let's see what will happnen. Sabi ko nga in my speech, "magsisisi kayo."

Blasted to amazement
It is a tradition for the Koro to invite the alumni to sing with the current members in the 6:30 pm Sunday mass nearest the anniversary. That's exactly what happened. We sang with the oldies (not that their old or 'sumtin) and they amazingly made my jaw drop. Througout the mass they were breathtakingly oh-so-good. lalo la yung mga sopranos doing their obligato in some songs. And when The Majesty was sang, I was really awestruck. I had been the entire mass actually. Hay.

It was also my first day as secreatary. Ang hirap pala, especially with the collection of the music sheets after the mass.

more pics?: http://themistermistaker.multiply.com/photos/album/13

__________________________
Just a day before enrollment. Di ako nakapag-driving lessons this sembreak. Hay. Sa Christmas break kaya?
Also read a mate's blog entry about black and white and the gray areas in between. I promise to make a blog entry about it.

Thanks LORD for this sembreak.

I pray that i'll recover from my state.

I know that if i want to, I will be able to do it

It's a matter of choice.

If I'm for You i'm for You. If not, then I'm not. No in-betweens

HAPPY BDAY F8!!!

Inuman

Weird. I kinda did not keep the Sabbath day Holy last night (or rather this morning) 'cause I took shots of gin and lambanog with the koro up until 3 am. Well, theoretically, in the bible it says that to drink is not a sin but to to get drunk is (Ephesians 5:18)--having a good control of myself and having a good grasp of what my limitations are took care of that so i did not really get drunk.

SO ACTUALLY, it wasn't the drinking that prevented me from keeping the Lord's day holy, it was the fact that I did not ask permission from my parents that I would be drinking up until 3 am that did.

Not that it was the first time i drank with friends, but i guess it was the first time i did not ask permission from my parents (well i have no idea when the session will end). But that's that.

It started when kuya Marlon and Ate Anna mixed mango juice, milk, and sprite (which tasted really good). Someone suggested putting a little gin on it then one thing led to the other.

Well, i usually don't enjoy drinking sessions ('cause i'd rather drink alone) but what i always like about these sessions are the conversations that keep rollling and rolling. And since i have a certain control, I always end up getting to know people "2-chapters-of-their-lives" better.

LOVE na namna yung topic kagabi. Weird.

...I just woke up upon posting this entry, so i guess alcohol did have its toll on me after all.

more pictures at

http://themistermistaker.multiply.com/photos/album/10/Koro_Sessions_21-22_Oct_2007_

I can't believe Dumbledore's gay: http://mugglenet.com

Of Workshops, Baskets and Lubes

Had a singing workshop with Koro stigmatino yesterday. Did exercises for breathing and singing, which was quite nostlgic for those were the exercises my first choir teacher (the lecturer's wife) taught us when I was still a kid--all naughty and hyper.

Also, it reinforced my diaphragmatic breathing I learned from Speech 111 (voice and diction-- dos lang ako. too bad.) and whichI have been applying in my way of talking and singing (pati nga ata laughing ko diaphragmatic heheheh).
_______________

Also went to Puregold and Ministop (with kuya Marlon and Ate Jo) to buy some merienda for the workshop. look at what cool stuff i saw!

1. A horny lube which comes in ice and fire (hihi♂)
--nakalagay pa dun. "wait for cooling sensation before starting"
HAHAHAH Astig diba?
2. and a cool basket with wheels
--san ka pa? basket pa ba yun?


Nag-jog na ako kanina tapos
last day of requirements ngayon so
BAKASYON NA!
tomorrow I'm officially in SEMBREAK mode!
woohoo!

GYM HOPPING

26 Septemeber 2007
WEDNESDAY

After my church service, i took a nap. Then my mom woke me up beacause my uncle called to invite me to gym hop.

Kaya naman, we checked seven gyms all in all. Astig, iba-ibang instructors, iba-ibang lugar. There was even one wherein there was an indoor bball place and badminton court. Ayos!
But i'm eyeing this gym in philam with state-of-the-art gym equipment and an all-around insturctor. At a reasonable price (1000 pesos less than fitness first?, i'm currently convincing my mom to enroll me in. May boxing gym pa sa taas. hehehehe.

well, wish me luck.
sana may gym na uli ako by friday.


24-25 Septemeber
TUESDAY

since sumama ako sa Retreat, I wasn't able to make the handouts for a report on tuesday. I had no choice but to stay up until 3 am to finish the handouts

For the record, this was the hardest handout i've ever designed and made all by my self hehehehe.

EDUC nga naman.

more pics? http://themistermistaker.multiply.com/photos/album/1/Hardest_handouts_I_ever_made

21-23 Septemeber
FRIDAY-SUNDAY

KORO STIGMATINO Retreat
To start with, syempre late na naman ang mga tao. hehehehe. I was really hoping that since this was somewhat an outing, all will come early. I guess being late is really a KORO sickness hhhehe.

We left at around 10 pm, picked up ate joyce and ate grace at their places, travelled thorugh the night then at midnight stopped over a bulaluhan place. All this while i was sneezing my nose off my face. At Syempre, dahil malamig ang weather, hirap na naman ako mag-adjust sa temp (too much for my seasonal, and allergic rhinitis). Then, we continued on through a winding-foggy-mountain road that kept everybody awake. Kahit na may foglights, wala pa rin kami makita kaya nga astig si kuya derick kasi, for some reason, it was as if he could see the road as is--ala nightvision.

VILLA BRUNORA: Bagyo... kaya di rin kami naka-swim. Ay! retreat nga pala pinunta namin doon. Kahit na hindi nakapunta sa FR. Mervin, ayos pa rin kasi may dumalo namang 2 madre at nakapag-share naman ang mag tao. Dami ko natutunan tunkgol sa mga KORO memebers, kaya mas nakilala ko sila. Grabe. Adik mga tao! heheheh Ang saya-saya nila. Lanu na sila ate Grace, ate Joyce at ate Steph. Hindi nga halatang mas madami ang mga lalaki sa babae na sumama e. hhehehhe

Basta, madaming napag-kwentuhan. Ang daming nagawa. Nagtakutan, nagtawanan, nag-inuman (lasang robitusin yung 40%- alcohol vodka and sprite, worse: lasang redwine with tempra yung vodka and coke) nagdasal, nagkwentuhan, nagkantahan, nag-picturan nagkainan, naghabulan, at nag-volleyball pa. Malamang di ako nakagawa assignment kahit na nagdala ako. Asa naman!

Masaya talaga. At noong pauwi na kami, akalain mo na ang 3-hour travel from batangas to LP ay ngakaroon ng 4 na stop0over. ADIK! heheehhe. Pero ayos pa rin. Ang saya ng biyahe.

Natapos ang retreat sa isang misa sa Parish. Nagsimba kami sabay-sabay.

oo nga pala, nakilala ko pa ang pamangkin ni ate Grace na si Edrick- ang cute na 4-year old na napagkwantuhan namin sa biyahe heheehe. Excited na akong pumasa sa EDUC at magturo sa mga bata. Madali kasing makita si GOD sa kanila :->

hehehehehe

...

21 SEPTEMBER
FRIDAY

i'm poor with changes

After just 5 months of weight training, the local gym where i go to three times a week has been shutdown--primarily because of shifts in management. I actually never thought i'd feel sad about the sudden change.

Situated at the top floor of a building in Manuela, the gym's windows give you a great view of the Las Pinas skyline (no wonder that in every in-between sets, we often hang out by the windows). And with good ventialtion, enough lighting and nice gym-goers and trainers, the gym was really a home to me, home to my release of all my aggressions, frustrations and what not. Basta astig. Every gym day, i get so excited.

Letting go of a home is what i think made things worse. This actually is a perk of a local gym, the familiarity of the people--their stories, experiences, spotting, grunts and moans are oh-so-familiar. All these makes you at home.

Kaya dahil last day ko ngayon, nalungkot ako.

hay...
I'm off to another gym, i guess.

KORO

Had dinner sa Koro House after our presentation for the Italians in our parish. Ayos naman. Nagandahan naman ata sila. also watched Disturbia. so mga 1:40 am na kami nakauwi. Ayun. Ang tagal ng trike kasi 2 am na heheheh.

can't wait to bake tom...